Beloved Y&R Veteran Brett Hadley Passes Away At 92

The Young and the Restless is grieving the loss of beloved actor Brett Hadley, who played Genoa City lawman Carl Williams. He passed away on June 14, 2023, at the age of 92.

Brett Hadley: The Role Of A Lifetime

The cause of death has yet to be determined. On Y&R, he played a no-nonsense detective who rescued Jill Abbott, along with Jack Abbott, from a trap laid by the obsessed masseuse that shot and tormented her. He inspired his beloved son, Paul Williams (Doug Davidson), to follow in his footsteps as a detective in the Genoa City Police Department.

The news was announced on Facebook by a longtime friend and photographer, Mary Ann Halpin. “It is with a heavy heart that I have to say goodbye to my sweet friend Brett Hadley. He has been my friend since I was 19 years old. We were in an acting class and were the bad kids in the class. We sat in the back and giggled. I remember us sitting in his coverable WV in front of my apartment in Burbank under a maple tree with the leaves falling into the car.

“We were stoned and pretending we were driving through the country,” she continued. “We hiked Mount Whitney together with my little brother Johnny who was only 16 at the time (he’s now 65). He was at our wedding almost 39 years ago. Brett had a long career as an actor. He was 10 years on The Young and the Restless. I was fortunate to get a small part on the show as a loose woman named Angela. Amazingly, we were in the same scene together. I will miss his playful and deep conversation, his funny flirty giggle, and twinkling eyes. He took his last bow and gracefully left us yesterday. Thank you to my dear sweet soul sister Darcy Lee Caplan for midwifing him out.”

The actor was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 25, 1930. He studied acting at the University of New Mexico and began working professionally in 1969 with a role on the TV series, The Name of the Game. 

Hadley began adding roles to his resume in the 70s on such shows as The Bold One: The Lawyers, Room 222, The F.B.I., The Mad Bomber, Lucas Tanner, Ironside, Police Story, The Magical World of Disney, The Waltons, Kojak, McMillan & Wife, The Invisible Man, Marcus Welby M.D., The Rockford Files, and The Incredible Hulk.

The 80s included roles in The New Mike Hammer, The Colbys, Highway to Heaven, and Beauty and the Beast. It was 1980 when The Young and the Restless executive producer and writer, William J. Bell, created the iconic character of Carl Williams and hired Brett Hadley to play him.

The strong patriarch of the Williams family was married to the religiously devout, Mary, played by the late Carolyn Conwell, and they had four children: Steven, Paul, Patty, and Todd Williams. His character was nearly beaten to death in 1991 and was later found to have been suffering from amnesia and leading another life as Jim Bradley with Ruth Anne Perkins.

His film roles included The Footloose Goose, Funny Lady, The Courage and the Passion, Maid to Order, Next of Kin, The Babe, and Schooled. Short films Mush, Lucy’s Piano, 1045 Mercy Street, The Lottery, Entanglement, and Dreamcatchers. 

The Young and the Restless publicity department tweeted, “Rest in Peace Brett who graced #YR with his talent for many years as ‘Carl Williams.'” Soap Hub sends its sincere condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Brett Hadley during this difficult time.